Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great CD from one of Ireland's greatest bands, 21 Nov 2005
This 1990 release nicely mixes reels, jigs, and songs from the Celtic group whose career was about to peak with 1992's Harvest Storm and 1993's Island Angel. The Red Crow resembles other Altan albums in energy and traditional music selections but stands out for its variety of guest accompanists, which includes pianist S´amus Quinn, mandolin player Niall Toner, and keyboardist M´ire Breathnach. In fact, "Mallaí Chroich Shlí" is one of those rare--perhaps only--cuts where ambient synthesizer appears on an Altan song--and tastefully at that. Other highlights include the lovely "Tommy Bhetty's Waltz" and "Inis Dhún Rámha," dominated by a bouncing acoustic guitar. Overall, there's a great variety of hardcore Altan fun here with a bit of New Age softness and folkie flavor thrown in.
Altan has been promoting the traditional music of Donegal for well over a decade now. The Donegal style of Irish fiddle music is known for its high energy, its aggressive bowing, its relation to Scottish music, and for types of tunes such as "Highlands," "Lancers," and "Germans," which are not found in the counties to the South, and it is Donegal's fiddle music that predominates Altan's recordings. The melodic heart of this album is the twin fiddling of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Paul O'Shaughnessy, and the flute playing of Mairead's late husband, Frankie Kennedy. Ciaran Curran's bouzouki and Mark Kelly's guitar accompaniment, plus the accompaniment of various guests, are both driving and subtle. The musical sympathy between the musicians is evident in the way that Mhaonaigh's and O'Shaughnessy's different approaches to bowing blend in with and complement each other's, and how tight and polished, yet vibrant and alive this album is. This musical sympathy is not all that surprising, given that Altan's musicians have been playing together at pub sessions and festivals for many years prior to their decision to form a touring band. The Red Crow contains both tunes that are standards of the Donegal fiddler's repertoire, and Donegal settings of tunes known throughout Ireland. There are also some newly composed tunes, including the now widely popular Brenda Stubbert's reel, composed by Cape Breton fiddler Jerry Holland. Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh's beautiful, soulful voice is heard on several songs sung in Irish, and one in English. The Red Crow is at once exciting, polished, and well-balanced between types of tunes and songs.
This is Altan's finest recording to date. Its energy and selection of tunes is, I feel, unmatched by their other recordings. You may have your own favorite of Altan's, but as with many artists, I feel that their greatest work comes from the period immediately preceding their mainstream success. Altan has many imitators, but there's nothing quite like the original.
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